The Dallas Cowboys have some big decisions to make by next week Tuesday. That is the day that all NFL teams must trim their 90-man rosters down to 53. With many players fighting for a spot, there are surely going to be some surprise cuts and/or other transactions as the front office decides which players Mike McCarthy will get to take into the 2024 season on a quest to fight for his job.
One position group that will be interesting to watch as cutdown day approaches is the quarterback room. Obviously, Dak Prescott is firmly entrenched as the starter, albeit without a long-term contract extension that would guarantee his place on the team beyond this season.
The questions, rather, lie with what the team will do with their other two quarterbacks, Cooper Rush and Trey Lance.
Will Cooper Rush or Trey Lance Be the Dak Prescott’s Backup Quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys?
The Cowboys shocked the NFL world last offseason when they acquired former first-round quarterback Trey Lance in a trade with the San Francisco 49ers. Lance, at one time, was San Francisco’s starter, but lost the job to Brock Purdy when he got injured and Purdy proved to be a Pro Bowl-level quarterback.
The reason why the acquisition was such a confusing move outside of the Cowboys organization is that Prescott is, obviously, their franchise quarterback and Rush has been a solid backup for years. Many wondered if adding Lance meant that Dallas would eventually move on from Prescott in favor of the former number third-overall pick.
Last season, Lance served as Dallas’ third-string quarterback behind Prescott and Rush. This year, the question is whether or not he will be able to supplant Rush as the backup.
However, the Cowboys also declined his fifth-year option, meaning that Lance will be a free agent at the end of this season.
So, what, exactly, is their plan?
Dallas Cowboys Insider Claims a Trey Lance Trade Could Still Happen
Earlier this week, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made waves when he guaranteed that Lance would be on Dallas’ 53-man roster this season. Many assumed that this meant he would not be traded and could possibly be their backup quarterback this year.
Mike Fisher of Athlon does not believe that this conclusion is correct. He recently wrote, “That’s not even close to what Jerry said. Nor is it even close to the truth.”
Fisher argues that Lance is a shoo-in for the 53-man roster because he cost the Cowboys a fourth-round pick, has potential, and has a $5.3 million guaranteed contract for this year.
That does not mean, though, that Dallas won’t trade him. He could be carried onto the 53-man roster and traded at any time before the deadline.
This is something that the Cowboys may not even hesitate to do should a decent running back become available on a quarterback-needy team.
One could argue that, if Prescott signs an extension at any point this year, Lance is as good as gone. After all, Rush has proven to be a more-than-competent backup.
